Wire-cutter.



j. WOREK.

WIRE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20.1918.

Patented Sept. 3,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET (3% ml )llhizs 12 @i J. WOREK.

WIRE CUTTER.-

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JAN WOREK, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO FRANK FL BEK, OF CHICAGO IHEIGHTS, ILLINOIS,

WIRE-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

, Application filed June 20, 1918. Serial No. 240,934.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAN VOREK, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, having deelared my intention to become a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a wire cutter employed with knives or bayonets whereby barbed and similar wires may be quickly severed while the blade upon which the device is mounted. is capable of all ordinary uses for which the same is intended.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a device adapted for cutting through barbed wire entanglements, the structure possessing great strength and being operated in conjunction with a blade upon which the device is mounted, the struc ture being cheaply and easily manufac tured.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a knife carried by a rifle barrel and provided with my device, a wire being shown in section in position for euttin Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the opposite side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same looking toward the top of the barrel with the muzzle portion thereof broken away and a wire illustrated in position for cutting;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken upon lines IVIV and V-V, respectively, of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, of the device.

It being understood that my wire cutter may be opcratively mounted upon any form of blade, the same is herein illustrated in connection with a knife or blade 10 having a handle 11 secured by means of split double collars 12 and 13 to the muzzle portion of a rifle barrel 1% with the blade 10 projecting forwardly thereof for employment as a bayonet.

The knife handle 11 is secured beneath the barrel 14 opposite the sight 15 of the rifle while the lower edge 16 of the blade 10 is the sharpened cutting portion thereof. A cutting jaw 17 has its shank 18 pivoted to the blade 10 by means of a rivet 19 in such a manner that the cutting edge 20 of the said jaw cooperates with the edge 16 of the blade 10 in cutting wires such as 21, positioned between the jaw and blade. A leaf spring 22 is secured to the shank 18 and bears upon the adjacent shoulder 23 at the inner end of the handle 11 for normally maintaining the aw 17 away from the said blade 10.

A substantially right angular operating lever 24 is pivoted by means of the rivet 19 upon the opposite side of the blade 10 from the jaw 17, while a rocker 25 is pivoted as at 26 to the handle 11 and is connected by meansof similar links 27 and 28 with the jaw shank 18 and lever 2% respectively.

The lever 24 has its free end portion or arm 29 provided with a broad curved inner face 30 adapted for engaging the wire 21 between the face 30 and the blade edge 16 when the device is applied to the wire for cutting the same.

The arm 29 is of greater length than the jaw 17 while the link 27 of the jaw is of greater length than the link 28 of the lever 24 and the spring 22 is so positioned relatively of the pivot point of the jaw 17 as to normally maintain the lever arm 29 extending in advance of the jaw 17 toward the pointed end 31 of the blade 10 and with the jaw edge 20 inopcratively spaced from the blade edge 16.

The soldier in charge of the rifle positions the blade edge 16 upon the wire 21 and upon forcing the device forwardly contacts the curved face 30 of. the lever 21 with the wire which shifts the lever 2% and jaw shank 18 upon the pivoting rivet 19 and which movement of the jaw and lever are in opposite directions by reason of the rocker 25 and the connecting links. The forward thrust of the barrel 1 1 forces the lever arm 29 outwardly and rearwardly permitting the blade edge 16 to slide upon the wire 21 whereby the curved face 80 of the lever 2t forces the jaw 17 inwardly engaging the edge 20 thereof with the wire which is thereby forcibly severed between the jaw edge 20 and the knife edge 16. After the operation of the device, the spring 22 returns the members to their normal positions jaw and lever.

with the jaw 17 retracted and the lever arm 29 in its operative position ready for contacting another wire for cutting the same.

What I claim as new is V 1. Wire cutter for knives andthe like comprising in combination with a blade, a cutting jaw adapted for cooperating-'with the cutting edge of the blade pivoted to' the blade, an operating lever for the jaw pivoted to the opposite side of the blade, and connections between the said jaw and lever whereby the movement of the lever, is adapted for shifting the jaw in an opposite direction and normal positioning means for the 2. In combination with a knife having a handle and a blade, an angular lever and a jaw pivotally mounted upon opposite sides or" the blade, a rocker pivoted to the handle,

- link connections between the opposite ends of the rocker and the adjacent ends of the aw and lever whereby a pressure upon the lever toward the handle is adapted for shifting the aw toward the edge of the blade in the cutting operation.

3. In co-mbination'with a knife having a handle and a blade, an angular lever and ,a

jaw pivotally mounted upon opposite sides of the blade, a, rocker pivoted to the handle,

- link connections between the opposite ends of the rocker and the adjacent ends of, the.

jaw and'lever whereby a pressure upon the lever toward the handle is adapted for shifting the jaw toward the edge of the blade Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing Washington, D. C.

the cutting operation, the-link between the rocker and being of greater length than the connection between the rocker and lever,

and a positioning. spring carried by the jaw engaging the adjacent portion of the handle whereby the jaw is normally maintained open with the lever positioned in advance mally extending in advance of the toward the free end of the blade and provided with a curved inner face adapted for forcibly engaging a wire to. be cut, a rocker pivoted to the handle, links of unequal length connected between the opposite ends of the rocker and the adjacent ends of said shank and lever, anda normal positioning spring carried by the jaw engaging the adjacent portion of the handle whereby the jaw is no-rrnally main- 'tained'in'spaced rel-ation with respect to the cutting edge of the blade.

In testimony "whereof I afiix my signature.

' JAN WOREK;

the Commissioner of IlEatents, 

